Azernews.Az

BAKU – Azerbaijan's ruling party has accused the opposition of misleading international groups about the campaign of candidates to stand in the November parliamentary elections.

"The opposition’s actions are due to either its lack of proper and profound understanding of the requirements of Azerbaijan’s Electoral Code or with an attempt to create a false impression amidst international organizations on the authorities’ alleged failure to undertake the necessary measures to publicize the pre-election campaign and the campaigning of candidates," said Ali Ahmadov, deputy chairman of the ruling Yeni (New) Azerbaijan Party (YAP).

"But I think that international organizations are aware of the reality and the truth," he told reporters Friday.

During a roundtable on the role of media in the 2010 parliamentary elections, held Tuesday by the OSCE Office in Baku, some opposition party leaders claimed that what they called the ban on political campaigning on state television was groundless. Further, on Thursday, the OSCE office announced a number of principles to help ensure equitable media coverage ahead of the November 7 elections. The proposals included repealing a relevant article of the Election Code to allow the state television channel AzTV to offer air time during the election campaigns.

The YAP deputy chairman noted that under the Electoral Code of Azerbaijan, coverage of the pre-election campaign, including election campaigns of candidates and parties, is vested in Public TV. According to him, the requirements of the Electoral Code were formed according to the recommendations of international organizations.

"As a result of discussions held with international organizations several years ago, it was public television that was assigned to cover the promotion part of the election campaign under their proposals. These recommendations of international organizations were taken into account in the Electoral Code. Besides Public Television, participation of state television in the election campaigns is prohibited by the law in a way," said Ahmadov.

YAP deputy executive secretary Siyavush Novruzov told the press that pre-election campaigns are not covered by state TV channels anywhere in the world -- either in the United States or European countries.

"There is only one state TV channel in Azerbaijan, and it covers the measures taken by the government and public events," Novruzov added.

Parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan are scheduled for November 7. The elections are held by the majority of votes system in 125 constituencies.